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Disability Rights Nation

Dec. 1-13
From Ragged Edge's
D. R. Nation department Nov./Dec., 1998

Reeve Foundation gives $$

Wendy's hamburgers to
remove barriers in DOJ settlement

In late August, the Dept. of Justice reached a settlement with Wendy's restaurants in which the Ohio-based food chain agreed to:

--Either remove or widen the customer queues at all of its nearly 1,700 corporate-owned or leased restaurants in 39 states

--Notify all franchisees of the agreement and of their obligations under the ADA

--Allow a task force to conduct spot checks of restaurants covered by the agreement, to ensure that customer queues have been removed or widened.

Wendy's head Dave Thomas said company-controlled stores would be in compliance within 18 months. The agreement does not directly affect about 2,900 Wendy's restaurants owned by franchisees, athough Wendy's agreed to "notify" them. Wendy's International Inc., based in Dublin, Ohio, reportedly had more than $6 billion in sales last year.

The agreement stemmed from a two-year investigation by the Justice Department and the attorneys general of Arizona, Florida, California, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Last year, over 700 Friendly's restaurants agreed in a similar DOJ settlement to eliminate steps and modify entrances that are too narrow for wheelchairs, among other changes. Friendy's also paid a $50,000 fine, the maximum allowed under the ADA.


Reeve Foundation Gives $$

The Christopher Reeve Foundation announced awards in September totalling $100,000 for programs that "allow people with disabilities to live independently" and "enhance the quality of life," according to a Foundation press release.

Awards of $25,000 were given to National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), Disabled and Alone/Life Services for the Handicapped (New York), and Very Special Arts. Grants of $5,000 went to Creative Living in Columbus, Ohio; New Outlook Associates, Inc. in Salt Lake City; Accessible Alternatives in Orlando, Florida; Canine Companions in Santa Rosa, Calif. and Project TIDE in Chicago.

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